Ice cracker



Sept. 16, 1952 J. R. BAYsToN ICE CRACKER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 16, 1949 INVEN'ToR.

Patented Sept. 16, 1952 fron cnAcKEn-f., v 'y lJohn R.Bayston,Losiigeleaalifi Application Julyzie, 1949, sermNo; 105,100 ,1

The present invention'relateslto vice. cracking machines and-has particular reference to a small motor driven machine adapted to convert ice cubes into cracked ice in' any degree of flneness desired. f

Numerous ice cracking machines have been devised and used .inthe past, but so far as known, the small units heretofore designed to produce cracked ice from asupply of cubes have been subject to clogging andnljamming to an extent that has prevented their.successful'operation, while devices, designed to shave ice from large, solid cakes have been objectionable due to their size and inherently expensive construction.

It is, therefcrathe primary Aaim of the presenty invention to provide an ice; cracking machine that is dependable and eil'icient in use, yet is of extremely simple -mechanical'construction and adapted to mass production methods of manufacture so that it may be produced ata cost low.-

enough to nd a ready acceptance in any establishment that uses.k cracked ice, Aeven thels'maller restaurants, bars and soda fountains which do not use enough of vtheproduct to justify an expensive machine.`

The manner in which the robjects of the'present invention are accomplished is best illustrated in the drawings of the present specification, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional View of an ice cracking machine according to these teachings, the View being taken substantially on the plane of the line I--I of Figure 2;

'Figure 2 is a plan sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the lines 43 3 of Figures 1 and 2; and

"Figure Il is a front elevational view of the adjustable breaker plate employed in the machine.

The machine comprises a frame generally indicated at It having a mounting bracket II by which it may be secured to any convenient support. The frame is an integral casting including a vertical plate I2 which forms one wall of the housing for the operating parts of the device, and a horizontal plate I3 on which a driving motor I6 is, carried. The driving motor serves to rotate a disc-shaped rotor I5, the hub I6 of which is secured to the motorA shaft I'I by set screws i8. The plate I2 of the frame is apertured at IB to provide a clearance around the hub I6, so that'the rotor turns free of the plate and is held in spaced relationship therefrom,

3 claims. (oigan-255i in order it;` is: supported` only by the bearingson whichlthe: motor shaft is carried. An

adjusting screw/,20 is provided to yholdythe disc in proper-longitudinal relationship with themotorshaft. rThe rotor I5 is provided with aplui ralityr of tapered conical teeth k2I arranged in radial rows extending outwardly from the center-,oithefdisc toits-outer edges, as shownin Figure I-.v Thefrotor l5 is-enclosed within a cast metalhousing r25 secured to the plate II bymachinevscrews 2,5, and provided with.v an upwardly kkextending, iiared ice chute 26..The'ppposite side of the-fhousing includes a wall portionZ'l lying closely adjacent the teethof Vthe rotor onV one sideof the disc, but on-the otherside of the centerline of the disc the Wall is offset outwardly asshownwat 28.7(l'ig. 2 )-,jso as to provide la generally 1 rectangular ice chamber *definedy bythe walls 28,v 29` and 3L An ice breaker lplate 32 is mounted in this chamber on a pair of pivot studs *,33- ,whichv extend through the walls 28 and 3|, respectively, Ifhe breaker Iplate 32'extends yinfA wardlyv and, downwardly toward the rotor I5 Vand is provided on itslinnervl face with a series of `tapered.conical teeth, y:1li-.disposed in.r a curved line starting, from a point adjacent thecenter of the disc I5 and extendingwoutwardly and upwardly, as shown in Figure 3. In this figure, it will be seen that when the disc I5 is revolving in counter-clockwise direction, the teeth 2| enter the ice chamber from one side and swing in an arcuate movement inwardly and downwardly. As the disc revolves, the teeth 2I mesh between the teeth 34 of the breaker plate, so that ice within the chute is crushed by the combined action of both sets of teeth.

It is to be particularly noted, however, that the teeth of the breaker plate are so disposed that the outermost teeth are the rst to mesh, followed in rapid succession by each succeeding pair cf teeth extending inwardly toward the center of the rotor. This performs an important function, in that it tends to move the ice inwardly toward the center of the rotor and eifect what we may term a combing action on the ice, so that the cubes are fed towardthe center of the disc where the breaking force of the teeth is greatest.

The degree of iineness of the ice produced by the machine can be regulated as desired by the thumb screw 35 threaded through a side wall 36 cf the ice chamber at a point below the inwardly tapered neck 31 and bearing against the lower end 38 of the breaker plate 32. Thus by loosening the screw 35, the teeth 2l and 34 move into widely spaced relationship and produce coarsely cracked ice, while if the screw 35 is threaded in fully the teeth 34 are held in close mesh with the teeth 2l, and a finely pulverized product is produced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In an ice cracking machine, in combination, a rotor comprising a iat disc rotatable on a horizontal axis, with a plurality of teeth on one surface thereof and disposed in radial lines extending outwardly from the center toward the edges of the dise, a breaker plate overlying an upper quadrant of the rotor disc and adjacent.

the teeth thereon, said breaker plate having a curved marginal edge lying fin a platz moed from but generally parallel with the plane of rotation of the disc and carrying a series 'of teeth meshing with the teeth of the rotor, the teeth oi .the breaker plate being disposed in a cur-ved vline extending outwardly and upwardly from a Vadjacent its periphery Ywith the upper face of the series being eoncaved, -together with a heus ing surrounding said rotorand breaker plate,-and means for adjusting the Aspacing between the breaker plate and the rotor, said means comprising a pivotal mounting adjacent one end of the breaker plate and an adjusting screw adjacent its other end and means for driving said rotor in the direction such that the rotor teeth move toward the coneaved surface of the'series of teeth on the breaker plate.

2. In'an ice cracking machine, in combination, a rotor comprising a ilat dise rotatable on a hormontal axis, with a -plurality of teeth on one surface thereofy and disposed inradial lines extending outwardly from the center toward the edges of the disc, a breaker plate overlying an upper quadrant of the rotor disc vand adjacent the teeth thereon, said breaker plate having a curved marginal edge lying in a `planespaced from but generally parallel with the plane of rotation oi the disc 'and ycarrying a series o! teeth meshing with the teeth of the rotonthe teeth of the breaker plate being disposed 'in a curved line extending outwardly and upwardly from a point adjacent the center of the rotor to a point adjacent its periphery with the upper face of the series being concaved. together with a housing surrounding said rotor and breaker plate, means for adjusting the spacing between the breaker plate and the rotor and means for driving said rotor in the direction such that the rotor teeth move toward the concaved ,surface of the series lof teeth on the lbreaker plaie.

3. In an ice cracking machine, in combination, a rotor comprising a hat disc rotatable on a horizontal axis, with a plurality of teeth on onesurface thereof and disposed in radial lines extending outwardly from the center toward the edges ofthe disc, a breaker plate overlying an Upper quadrant .of the rotor disc and adjacent the teeth thereon, said breaker plate having a curved marginal edge lying in a. plane spaced from but generally parallel with the plane of rotationnf nmimmying a series of teeth .with the `teeth of the rotor, the teeth .of time .breaker ,plate being disposed in a curved `line exbendingoutwardly vand upwardly from a point adjacent the center of the rotor to a point .adjacent 'im yperiphery with the upper face of 'the `series being concaved, together with a houssaid .rotor and breaker plate and means `for ldriving said rotor in the direction such that the rotor iteeth move toward the concaved vsurfwceof the series oi teeth on the breaker plate.

' JOHN B. BAYS'I'ON.

,REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the -ille lo'i 'this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Fre'lino Aug. 16, 1927 

